Question Answers Class 10 Chapter 2.2 Kumarbharati English Maharashtra Board

Three Questions

ENGLISH WORKSHOP

1. Read the story and answer whether the following statements are true or false.

(a) The people convinced the King to make a proclamation.

False. The king himself had the idea and made the proclamation; the people didn’t convince him.

(b) The hermit spoke usually to everyone.

False. The hermit spoke only to common folk, not to everyone.

(c) The King received all answers from the hermit.

True. The hermit eventually answered all three of the king’s questions through his explanation.

(d) The person the King saved and helped was his enemy.

True. The bearded man, whom the king saved, turned out to be his enemy.

(e) To do good to people is the purpose of our life.

True. This is the final message the hermit gives to the king.

2. Match the titles with the contents of the proper paragraph 

3. The character traits of the king and hermit are mixed up. Sort them out in the right box.

KING:

• Impatient
• Eager to succeed
• Convincing
• Compassionate
• Forgiving

HERMIT:

• Feeble
• Patient
• Helpful
• Enlightened
• Wise

4. Complete the Tree diagrams associated with the happenings in the story.

(A) Reward winning questions:

1. What is the right time to begin everything?
2. Who were the most necessary people?
3. What was the most important thing to do?

(B) Different responses to first question:

1. Make a table of days, months, and years to know the right time.
2. Attend to what’s happening and do what’s most essential.
3. Impossible for one man to decide correctly the right time for every action, so have a council of wise people.

(C) Most necessary people needed by the king:

1. Councillors
2. Priests
3. Doctors (Additional possibilities: Warriors)

(D) Most important occupations:

1. Science
2. Skill in warfare
3. Religious worship

5. Write down in your notebook two points for each of the following. How do you know . . .

(a) The learned advisers who came to the court confused the king.

• They gave different and conflicting answers to his questions.

None of their answers satisfied the king, so he didn’t give the reward.

(b) The king was humble.

• He wore simple clothes to meet the hermit, not royal attire.

He helped the hermit dig the ground despite being a king.

(c) The king’s enemy was repentant.

• The bearded man asked for forgiveness after the king saved him.

He promised to serve the king for life if he survived.

(d) The hermit was truly wise.

• He answered the king’s questions through real-life events, not just words.

His explanation about the importance of the present moment showed deep understanding.

6. Choose the correct answer and fill in the blanks.

(a) “Varied” (Paragraph-3) means (i) different.

(b) Many learned people came to the court and gave (iii) different answers.

(c) The synonym of ‘convinced’ is (i) persuaded.

(d) The King wanted to know the (i) right time to begin everything.

(e) “I pray you to answer my question.” Here ‘pray’ means (ii) request.

(f) Choose an adverb that collocates with “breathed (ii) heavily.“

7. Answer the following questions.

(a) The learned people were sometimes divided in their opinions, different persons giving quite different answers; at other times, none of them gave an answer. They all suggested ways to look for an answer. Point out one example of each.

• Different answers: Some said to make a timetable, while others said to focus on what’s happening now.

No answer, just a suggestion: Some said it’s impossible for one man to decide and suggested a council of wise people.

(b) Though the hermit did not say anything to the king for some time, he did not ignore the king or treat him rudely in any way. Do you agree? What evidence of his politeness can you point out? What shows that he listened and responded to the king’s words?

• Yes, I agree.

Politeness: He greeted the king when he arrived and didn’t refuse his presence.

Listened and responded: He let the king speak, handed over the spade when asked, and later explained the answers clearly.

(c) The hermit ‘spoke only to common people’; so the king ‘put on simple clothes’. Do you think the king hoped to be mistaken for a common man, or was he just showing that he was a humble person? What shows that the hermit knew him to be the king?

• The king likely wanted to be mistaken for a common man to meet the hermit, but it also shows humility.

Hermit knew he was the king: He said, “You have already been answered,” addressing the king’s royal concerns directly.

(d) Did the king behave as an ordinary person, rather than as a ruler, at the hermit’s hut? What shows it? Did he also act as a good, kind person? When did he do so?

• Yes, he behaved like an ordinary person by digging the ground and helping the hermit.

He acted kindly when he bandaged the bearded man’s wound and gave him water.

(e) Do you think the hermit knew, beforehand, not only about the king’s arrival but about the ambush by his enemy? Think a little about this and say what you really feel.

• It’s possible. The hermit’s calm reaction to the bearded man and his wise answers suggest he might have foreseen events, but the story doesn’t confirm it. I feel he was just very observant and wise.

8. Consider this list of the different things that happened and rearrange them in the order of time.

1. (c) The king executed the bearded man’s brother.
2. (a) The bearded man resolved to kill the king.
3. (e) The bearded man laid an ambush to kill the king.
4. (b) The king went alone to see the hermit.
5. (f) The king’s bodyguards recognised and wounded the bearded man.
6. (g) The bearded man came out of the ambush.
7. (d) The king spent the night at the hermit’s hut.

9. Read the story in your own language, summarize the following aspects of the story in 4 to 5 lines each in your own language. (Answers in English for this task as per instruction)

(a) King’s problem:

The king wanted to know the right time to act, the most necessary people, and the most important thing to do to succeed in life.

(b) Attempts made to find a solution:

He made a proclamation for answers, asked learned men, and finally visited a wise hermit in disguise.

(c) Climax:

The king saved a wounded man who turned out to be his enemy, who then asked for forgiveness

. (d) Solution:

The hermit explained that the present moment, the person you’re with, and doing good are most important.

(e) Message:

Live in the now, value the person you’re with, and do good, as that’s the purpose of life.

10. (A) The following compound words from the story are spelt in a jumbled order. Rearrange the letters to make them meaningful.

1. a r e e t u k d n = undertake
2. y o n n a e = anyone
3. s t a p s i e m = pastimes
4. d u b g y r o a d = bodyguard
5. f r a w e r a = warfare
6. h e e d a r f o n b = beforehand
7. h e i l n e w a m = meanwhile
8. n e v h i g r e t y = everything

(B) From the story, find the collocations of the following.

1. important – most important
2. intently – gazing intently
3. frail and – frail and weak
4. widely – widely renowned
5. time – right time
6. blood – blood was flowing
7. simple – simple clothes
8. closed – eyes closed
9. asleep – fell asleep
10. peace – made peace

11. Say whether the Verbs underlined in the sentences are finite or non-finite.

1. He decides to go to a hermit. – Finite
2. I have come to you, wise hermit. – Finite
3. He gave the reward to none. – Finite
4. The hermit was digging the ground. – Finite
5. I pray you to answer my questions. – Finite
6. “Forgive me.” – Finite
7. The sun began to sink. – Finite

12. Narrate an experience of your own that has helped you to realise that ‘Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.’ Write it in your notebook, in about 20 lines.

(Sample answer for guidance)

• Once, I struggled with a difficult math chapter before an exam. I wanted to give up because it was taking too long to understand. My teacher told me to be patient and keep practicing. It was frustrating, and I spent hours every day solving problems. I felt tired and annoyed, but I didn’t stop. Slowly, I started to get better. On the exam day, I was nervous, but I solved every question correctly. When the results came, I scored the highest in class. That moment felt so rewarding! I realized that patience was hard and bitter at first, but the success it brought was sweet and worth it. Now, whenever something is tough, I remember this and keep going.

13. After reading this story, develop a dialogue with 2 of your classmates about the characters in the story. Besides the tactful introduction to the conversation and write 8 to 10 sets of dialogues.

(Sample dialogue)

You: Hey, guys, I just read “The Three Questions” by Tolstoy. What did you think about the characters?

Classmate 1: Oh, I liked the king. He was so determined to find answers!

You: Yeah, he was impatient at first, but he became humble, right? Like when he helped the hermit dig.

Classmate 2: True! And the hermit was so wise. He didn’t just tell the king the answers-he showed him.

You: Exactly! What about the bearded man? I was surprised he was the king’s enemy.

Classmate 1: Me too! But it was cool how he changed after the king saved him. Shows forgiveness is powerful.

You: Do you think the king expected that twist?

Classmate 2: Maybe not, but it taught him the hermit’s lesson-helping others is what matters.

You: Totally! The hermit’s calmness was my favorite part. He knew more than he let on.

Classmate 1: Yeah, all three characters made the story so meaningful!

14. From the library or Internet, read the story ‘How much land does a man need?’ by Leo Tolstoy and write a review of the same, covering the following points.

(Sample review based on general knowledge of the story)

Background of the story: This is a short story by Leo Tolstoy, set in rural Russia, exploring human greed and its consequences.

Characters: The main character is Pahom, a peasant who desires more land, along with his wife, a devil who tempts him, and other minor characters.

Plot/Theme: Pahom believes owning more land will bring happiness. He gets a chance to claim as much land as he can walk around in a day, but his greed drives him to overexert himself.

Climax: Exhausted from running to claim more land, Pahom collapses and dies just as he finishes marking his plot.

Message/Moral: The story teaches that greed leads to ruin, and a man only needs enough land for his grave-about six feet.